Mini-gardeners earned their green thumbs with a little help from master gardeners at weeklong program at Paul D. Camp Community College.

The camp, “Gardening for a Health Earth,” was part of Paul D. Camp’s Kids College, and took place at the Regional Workforce Development Center in Franklin earlier this month.

There were 14 participants in the course who ranged from second to fifth graders from different places in Western Tidewater.

“It is definitely one of the most popular classes each year,” said Kids College director Teri Zurfluh.

Paul D. Camp partnered with Western Tidewater Master Gardeners in order to offer the class. This is the fourth year the gardeners have taken part in the program.

Fourteen of the master gardeners helped out in the program and taught the participants about various different garden topics, including plant growth and development, composting, the importance of mulch, and planting trees and shrubs.

The children also learned how to improve soil condition and reduce the need for chemical control in gardens.

During the week, the children took a field trip to Erwin Orchards in Zuni and created garden-related crafts.

At the conclusion of the camp, the participants gave a presentation for parents and guest to demonstrate what they learned in the course.